GOV. BRYANT ANNOUNCES FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOLLOWING HISTORIC FLOODS

PEARL – Residents and business owners in Bolivar, Coahoma and Washington counties are now eligible for disaster assistance following the historic March floods. Additional counties could be added pending further damage assessments.

Gov. Phil Bryant requested the declaration from President Obama on Wednesday, and the request was supported by Mississippi’s entire congressional delegation.

“I appreciate the federal government quickly issuing the disaster declaration, and I’m especially grateful for the support of Mississippi’s Congressional Delegation and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,” said Gov. Bryant. “This declaration will allow residents to being restoring their homes following the devastating floods.”

The disaster declaration qualifies affected residents in Bolivar, Coahoma and Washington counties to apply for FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program, which provides grants for individuals and families affected by the disaster.

Residents in Bolivar, Coahoma and Washington counties may begin registering online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.

Additional counties may be added as damage assessments are completed.

Initial estimates showed more than 650 homes in Mississippi sustained major damage or were destroyed as a result of the flooding. Several state agencies, along with numerous nonprofit and faith-based organizations have been assisting with recovery since the storms began.

MEMA is working with FEMA and will provide additional information as it becomes available.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today announced that the Mississippi Department of Transportation has been approved to receive $1.0 million to begin restoring federal-aid highways damaged in recent floods.

The emergency relief funding dependents on President Obama’s approval of the federal disaster declaration sought by Governor Phil Bryant on Wednesday. Members of the Mississippi congressional delegation have encouraged the President to approve the state’s request for federal emergency aid.

“The damage caused by flooding and severe storms this month is going to take time to fix. The Federal Highway Administration is ready to help the state repair transportation infrastructure, and I hope that this funding will be put to work soon,” said Cochran, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“I am pleased that emergency highway funding has been made available to assist the state in rebuilding our roads damaged earlier this month by historic floods,” Wicker said.

The Federal Highway Administration funding would reimburse the state for emergency repairs to restore essential traffic and to repair damaged federal highways, roads on federal lands and associated infrastructure throughout the state. This work is expected to entail stabilizing and repairing affected roadway embankments, rebuilding damaged roadways, and repairing replacing damaged structures.

President Declares Major Disaster for Mississippi

WASHINGTON –The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Mississippi to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning on March 9, 2016, and continuing.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bolivar, Coahoma, and Washington counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Lai Sun Yee has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Yee said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Federal Aid Programs for Mississippi

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made availableas needed and warranted under President Obama's disaster declaration issued for the State of Mississippi.

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

· Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)

· Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)

· Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)

· Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)

· Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)

· Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)

· Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)

· Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans’ benefits and social security matters.

How to Apply for Assistance:

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.